Valve for suction-sweepers.



-J. R. VAN DER PUTTEN. VALVE FOR SUCTION SWEEPERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22. I915 Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

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Y W i m J Um M JOHN R. VAN DER PUTTEN, OF NEW PHILADELPHIA, OHIO.

VALVE FOR SUCTION SWEEPERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14,1915.

Application filed September 22, 1915. Serial No. 52,066.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1', JOHN R. VAN DER PUTTEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New Philadelphia, in the county of Tuscarawasand'State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Valve for Suction-Sweepers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in suction sweepers and moreespecially to a valve adapted to be arranged between the fan and thedust receiving bag of the sweeper.

In the ordinary portable suction sweepers such as are provided with abag adapted to be emptied from the end attached to the i casing of thesweeper there has been a great deal of difliculty experienced by dustdropping through thesweeper from the bag and passing through the nozzle'upon the floor in case the sweeper is picked up suddenly or moved aboutwithout a great deal of care allowing the sweeper to tilt forward.

It is the object of my invention to provide means for preventing anydust from passing back from the bag through the machine and out'of thenozzle, making it unnecessary to always use a great amount of care inhandling the sweeper and in moving it from place to place.

Another object of my invention is to provide a' valve-located betweenthe dust receiving bag and the fan of the sweeper.

A further object is to provide a gasket between the casing of themachine and the ring to which the bag is attached, thus making an airtight joint between said parts, said gasket carrying thereon a valveadapted to remain normally closed. but adapted to be opened when themachine is in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a valve of the charactermentioned, which will .be simple, inexpensive, durable and effective.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed outin the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in theform, proportions, size and minor details of construction may be madewithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing: Figure lrepresents a side elevation of a suction sweeperof ordinary construction, parts beingbroken away to show my improvedvalve'attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a a horizontal transverse sectionthrough acportion ofthecasing and the dust receiving bag showing myvalve located between said parts. Fig.3.is a front elevation of thegasket and valve attached thereto. Flg. 4 is a similar view showing amodified form of valve. Fig. 5is a'detail perspective view of one of theeyes which is placed in the gasket in the modified form of theinvention.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawing.

Referring more especially to the construction illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, the letter A indicates the housing of a suctionsweeper, comprising the motor 1, fan caslng 2,-nozzle and brush casing 3and the rearwardly extended neck portion 4:. In the ordinary sweeper ithas been the practice to grind or plane the outer edge of the flange 5upon the neck portion and the inner edge of the ring 6, which carriesthe dust receiving bag 7 The neck portion 4 of the casing is providedwith ears 8, and the ring 6 is provided with ears 9, each of the ears 9having a suitable aperture 10 therein and each of the ears 8 having ascrew threaded aperture 11 adapted to register with the apertures 10.Thumb screws such as those shown at 12 are passed through said ears andtightened forming an air tight joint, between the neck 4 of the casingand the ring 6 of the bag.

With the use of my improved device it is not necessary to grind or planethe parts above referred to, but a gasket 13 having substantially theoutline of the ring 6 is placed between said ring and the flange 5 ofthe neck of the casing. This gasket is formed of rubber reinforced withfabric, or other suitable material. The thumb screws 12 are thentightened, drawing the ring 6 snugly against the gasket 13, which inturn is held tightly upon the rear face of the flange 5, thus forming anair tight joint. The gasket 13 is provided with an aperture 14, theoutline of which is shown indotted lines in Fig. 3.

The valve consists of a sheet 15 of leather or other suitable materialwhich is hingedly connected along its upper edge to the gasket 13 in anysuitable manner as by the stitches 16. The valve will normally remainclosed as best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, thus making itimpossible for any dust or dirt to drop back from-the bag 7 into thecasing of the sweeper so that it may be accidentally dropped upon thefloor in moving the sweeper. The valve 15 being very light, the suctioncreated by the fan when the sweeper is put into operation will cause thevalve to open as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, thus allowing the dustbeing removed from the carpet which is being cleaned to be directedthrough the aperture 14 in the gasket and into the bag 7. Immediatelyupon stopping the fan the air within the bag will, naturally pass outthrough the neck of the bag and in so doing will force the valve 15 intothe closed position, preventing any dust or dirt from within the bagpassing back into the fan casing of the sweeper.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated a modified form of valve in which a reinforcingframe is provided upon the valve. The gasket 17 in this form of valve isprovided with an aperture 18, outline of which is shown in dotted linesin Fig. 4:. A pair of eyes 19 are placed through suitable apertures inthe upper portion of the gasket 17 above-the .aperture 19, each of theseeyes is provided with a bifurcated extension 20, the arms of saidbifurcated portion being inserted through the apertures and bent backupon the face of the gasket. The valve consists of a sheet 21 of leatheror other suitable material, the outer edges 22 of which are folded overupon a suitable reinforcing wire frame 23, said edges being cemented orotherwise secured to the body portion of the valve. The upper free endsof the wire frame are bent outwardly forming hooks 24. After the eyes 19have been placed in the gasket the hoops 24 are inserted through saideyes as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, thus forming hinges for thevalve 21.

Although the drawings and above specification disclose the best mode inwhich I have contemplated embodying my invention I desire to be notlimited to the details of such disclosure, for, in the further practicalapplication of my invention, many changes in form and construction maybe made, as circumstances -require or experience suggests, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a gasket provided with acentral aperture and a flexible valve hingedly connected to said gasketand arranged to normally cover the aperture in said gasket.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a gasketprovided with a central aperture, eyes formed upon said gasket abovesaid aperture and a flexible valve adapted to normally cover, saidaperture, said valve comprising a wire frame, the ends of said wireframe being out-turned and passed through said eyes anda sheet offlexible material carried by said wire frame.

3. In a device'of the character described, a gasket provided with acentral aperture and a flexible sheet valve hingedly connected at oneedge to said gasket and arranged to normally cover the aperture in saidgasket.

4. In a device of the character described, a gasket provided with acentral aperture and a flexible sheet valve stitched at one edge to saidgasket and arranged to normally cover the aperture in said gasket.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JOHN R. VAN DER PUTTEN.

